News & Commentary

Almost 40 percent of University of Michigan undergraduate students live in dorms, including almost every first-year student. That is 10,000 students eating, socializing, studying and sleeping in residence halls.In the last few years, the University has gone to great lengths to make students feel like their residence hall is more than just a dorm, but it is their home and their community. Unfortunately, this concern has not carried over to the University embracing these communities as a place for dialogue and discussion. During the 2008 campaign season, University Housing sporadically banned student groups from canvassing in the residence halls. The current written policy infringed on students’ right to political speech in 2008 and, if not changed immediately, will prove equally detrimental to campaign efforts in 2010.That is why the U-M Undergraduate ACLU chapter teamed up with the ACLU of Michigan, U-M law school ACLU chapter and Washtenaw Branch ACLU to send the university a message:University Housing must not only respect the First Amendment rights of students in the residence halls; they should encourage the free exercise of ideas. It is the conversations that we have with our neighbors and our peers that make the University a vibrant, stimulating community. It is these discussions that allow students to discover a world outside of their hometowns. It is this atmosphere that promotes education and understanding. And it is these interactions that can make the old dorms a true community.

Long before I knew Kerouac, Bukowski, or Nabokov, I knew Dr. Seuss. “The Cat in the Hat” and “Green Eggs and Ham” were staples during my childhood. The fact that I attended a Lutheran Parochial school and Dr. Seuss just happened to be Lutheran only gave me more opportunities to get better acquainted with his strange characters and rhyming prose. The simplicity of his work guided me at a time when I barely understood the English language. Along with millions of other children, Theodor Seuss Geisel helped me make sense of it all in a completely nonsensical way. And now while we celebrate his birthday, not only is it a good time to acknowledge that Dr. Seuss wrote many stories that made reading fun for young children but also to that Dr. Seuss was a victim of censorship. In 1988, 17 years after the book was published, a school district in California banned Seuss’s book “The Lorax.” The book tells the story of a character called the Once-ler who cuts down trees to make a garment called the Thneed. The Lorax protests on the behalf of trees and the Bar-ba-loots who eat the trees. The Once-ler eventually destroys the forest and pollutes a nearby pond in the book. The school district banned the book of negatively portraying the logging industry. Certainly everyone is entitled to their own opinion; in fact, the First Amendment guarantees this freedom. However, students and their parents should decide on what books are unfair or not worth reading not schools and libraries. In the case of “The Lorax,” the school district was restricting information and ideas based on nothing more than hurt feelings. And by simply removing this book, the school district lost an opportunity to have a thoughtful discussion with students about the book’s theme. Although “The Lorax” was censored in the 80s, censorship is not limited to the distant past. Every day, one book is removed, banned or censored somewhere in the U.S., according to the American Library Association. If we let this kind of censorship go unchallenged we may miss the next Dr. Seuss, Jack Kerouac, Charles Bukowski or Vladimir Nabokov.

As a Wayne State University student, it’s hard to listen to people complain of a lack of things to do in Detroit.Although sometime's the landscape looks a little dismal, there are so many ways to experience the city, from the neighborhood bars to the city’s beautiful architecture to a visit to an art gallery.Like any place that is as culturally rich as Detroit, it’s these experiences that make students and residents feel connected to the city. So when I heard about the raid of the Contemporary Art Institute of Detroit, I was not just concerned about the violation of people's civil liberties but also worried about the future of a cultural institution that I love.In 2008, during CAID's monthly Funk Night, more than 100 people were arrested and charged with loitering by the Detroit police. Also, more than 40 legally parked cars were impounded. This wasn't some crazy rave or illegal warehouse party. The CAID has been promoting art in the city for 31 years.Although the Detroit police have since dropped all criminal charges, the incident has still sent a powerful message. With police action like this, those who come to the city looking to experience art and culture might think twice before attending another event in the city. And that's a shame.The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan filed a federal lawsuit today to stop the DPD from punishing innocent people who are just trying to have a good time in the city. For those who were at this event, the damage has already been done.It's time that DPD understands that such raids only hurt the city – it’s not illegal for young people like me to gather in the name of art.

Valentine's Day – a day to show your loved one just how much you care, to exchange cards, give gifts and celebrate the joy of being together. While LGBT relationships are increasingly public, Valentine's Day continues to be a bittersweet reminder of how far we still have to go to have our relationships acknowledged and validated. Today, 5 states extend to gay people the fundamental right to marry that is rooted in the principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In Michigan, not only do we have a state constitutional amendment that says we cannot marry, but according to the Michigan Supreme Court, it says we cannot have civil unions, domestic partner health insurance benefits or any other basic recognition of our relationships. For some of our clients, like Jim and Paul who have been together in a committed relationship for almost 20 years, under Michigan law they are virtual strangers. They lack the legal right to make medical decisions for one another, to inherit property without a will, or to make funeral and burial decisions. And our clients Nancy and Margo were legally married in Massachusetts, but their marriage is ignored by the State of Michigan and the federal government. They are not entitled to each other's social security benefits, the IRS does not acknowledge them for tax purposes, and they are not considered married for purposes of immigration. And because Thom and Dan cannot marry, Michigan courts deny them the right to jointly adopt their children and to ensure that their children have the legal protection of both parents in case something should happen to the other. Imagine a country where the majority, through a voter referendum, can deny a minority group the same constitutional right that is afforded to the majority. You wouldn't think that this is democracy, but this is exactly what has happened in more than 30 states in the United States. Denying LGBT couples fundamental rights won't diminish their love for one another, but it does put them at risk. On this Valentine's Day, while we share the love for others, let us also think about how to create a fairer and just state for all people who love, including our friends in the LGBT community.

Today marks the first congressional hearing on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell in 17 years. The repeal of this misguided policy, which calls for the discharge of members of the military who engage in “homosexual acts” or “demonstrate a propensity to engage in homosexual acts”, is long overdue.

Guest Blog: Rev. Cathi Feldpausch, Pastor of First Baptist Church of Ferndale What a gift! Circuit Court Judge Denise Langford-Morris upheld the decision by the City of Ferndale Zoning Board opening the way for South Oakland Shelter to bring their administrative offices into First Baptist Church of Ferndale. My congregation’s mission and outreach has always been to assist those within the area who are in need of a helping hand. We run a food and clothing pantry, mentor children and participate in the Oakland County Warming Shelter program. We believe that with SOS moving into a portion of our educational wing we will be able to partner with them to provide, not just a hand out to folks, but a hand up as well. This has been a long process and one that has made many emotions run high. However, the bottom line for us is and always has been that SOS is an outstanding organization. They work with the disenfranchised and partner with 64 churches, temples and synagogues in the area. Each of these institutions lends their own vision of ministry to SOS’s clients by providing overnight housing and meals. Because of this, we feel strongly that this is a hand in glove partnership for us. The City of Ferndale did indeed play by the rules and we are thankful that all their hard work paid off. I pray that those neighbors who oppose this move will, in time, come to realize that this partnership is not a threat but an opportunity. So often the ACLU comes under fire, but I for one want to say how much we have appreciated their support. It has been wonderful to feel as though someone really understands that this is what the church universal is called to do – feed the hungry and cloth the naked-- and then is willing to stand with the church to see that justice is done. What a Christmas gift this has been for me and for our church. Playing by the rules, keeping the faith and doing the best for the least of these still reigns in the wonderful City of Ferndale. Rev. Cathi Feldpausch is the Pastor of First Baptist Church of Ferndale. Previously, she was the Assistant Pastor of the First Baptist Church in Birmingham, Mich for 10 years. Her husband, Dale, and their family live in the church parsonage next door to the church.  

You may have already heard—yesterday the Supreme Court asked the lower court to reconsider its ruling that would have required the government to release photographs showing the torture and abuse of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Supreme Court decision was three sentences long, unsigned, and came after a new law passed permitting the secretary of defense to block any photos from ever seeing the light of day -- a privilege he invoked immediately with respect to the photos in our case. There has been a lot of debate around the release of these photos, but one thing is clear to me – the photos are a vital part of the public record. In fact, Steve Shapiro our national legal director put it best yesterday when he said: "No democracy has ever been made stronger by suppressing evidence of its own misconduct." But don’t take our word for it; listen to the stories of the men who were recently released from Guantanamo after years of abuse, with no charges or meaningful opportunity to challenge the legality of their detention.  

I support affirmative action. As a University of Michigan double graduate, I benefited tremendously from educational diversity. I was proud to attend a university that recognized inequality and valued multiculturalism, and I could not have imagined my personal and professional development without it.